The Adventure
by Neon.Love.Monkey
Summary: XMen 2...They were the students of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The inhabitants of the mansion, and the next mutant generation. It started on the day the White House was infiltrated...after that, their lives were never going to be the same...OCs
1. The Whitehouse Effects

The Adventure

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men series, any of the characters, or the movies. I also don't own any of the songs mentioned in this chapter. I do however own all original characters and this story. 

This story is set through the second movie, with different views from some of the characters that were not (or are not) involved with the larger picture. Something's will be added, and some will just be different. Remember! Be kind and review if you like the story…it will make me update more often. ;)

Songs to listen to during this chapter: _Cable Car _by The Fray

_Be Be Your Love _by Rachel Yamagata

_Angel _by Sarah McLachlan

……

Chapter 1: Whitehouse Effects

"Neanderthals…they were more than likely the first type of humans on this planet…"

The caveman statue behind Storm seemed to look more and more intimidatingly fake as she stared at it. To be at the large museum was a treat for the students of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and anywhere particularly out in public was a bonus mark. It wasn't that they weren't accustom to being out in the real world, but when you lived with Xavier, you didn't really live in the real world. Not by choice…but only because regular kids couldn't shoot fire from their fingertips or kill a person merely by touching them. Only because regular teenagers weren't able to freeze things over with a wave of their hand, or sense what would happen seconds before it did. Only because the normal boy couldn't turn to steel with a flex of his muscles, or the average girl couldn't control peoples' emotions. Only because the all-American youth couldn't stop time from happening. No…the students of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was entirely different.

"Pay attention, Connors," The soft murmur in her ear made her smile lightly. "You never know when the storm will call on you." Sure enough, seconds later her history teacher's eyes fell on her and she felt herself blush from the sudden attention.

"Jasmine?" Storm asked, the class's eyes turning to her at her name. "How did they create their earliest weapons?" Opening her mouth to answer, Jasmine Connors quickly closed it, shaking her head. "You don't know?"

"Sorry, Professor Monroe," She mumbled, her eyes glancing up before falling to the ground. "I wasn't paying attention." Ororo nodded, continuing on as she began to explain while Seth poked Jasmine's back again.

"I thought you would have been on the ball, Jass," The cavemen exhibit was soon over and Storm gestured for them to follow her as they continued onto the Jurassic Age. Jasmine was getting bored, there was no doubt there, but she wasn't about to be like the rest of the class. Almost half of them had slowly disintegrated and got lost in the crowd already, not waiting for the half hour that Scott, or Professor Summers, had promised them before they left. Little by little, the professors were pretending not to care and they had spread themselves out evenly among the bustling museum. A place that also served as a coffeehouse and newsoffice for many of its visitors. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Seth, we really should stay," She began, but by the time he'd grabbed her arm, she knew it was no use to argue with him. He already knew what he would have to say to get her to come. "When was the last time you passed a history test?" The smile on his face was evident even though she wasn't facing him as he pushed her gently through the crowds of people migrating through the museum. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was shining through the large glass windows and glass roof, eliminating the need for lights. The enviroment of the building excited her, and she knew only too well that everyone else was brimming with privillage to be here instead of in a stuffy library at the manor. "You don't have to answer that question, but I'll have you know that I can feel the embarrassment coming off of you."

"I'll have you know I pass tests regularly, but history seems to be a rough area in my case," Jasmine glanced back to smile at her best friend, his gray eyes smiling at her as well. Seth Goodwrich had been her first and only friend when she'd first come to the school three years before. He had been there for a year already when she'd arrived. She could still remember pestering him for ages to get his gift out of him, but when he'd told her, she didn't exactly believe him. He could see what would happen within the nearest future and along with that, he was an empath. "I don't have your brains, you know."

"I know," Jasmine smirked. She had never thought her gift was anything special, or anything that stood out. She knew three others that had the exact same power, including one of her mentors, Jean Gray. Her power of telekenisis, or the ability to bend or move objects using the mind, was slightly common among the walls of the Xavier estate. Yet her strength and ability to manipulate that came in large doses was not…which was why Jean Grey was her mentor in all cases. "So where are we going?"

"To that table over there in the food court, with the two chairs that that couple just left from," Seth replied. The refreshing thing about him to Jasmine was that he always knew exactly what to say. He never was stuck, and he never managed to make her mad. Infact, he was one of the only reasons she usually stayed grounded instead of getting ahead of herself. "And we're just going to sit and talk, maybe order some coffee…not do anything in particular."

She crinkled her nose as she shut her mouth, erasing the question from her mind. To have that power to stop yourself from doing something that could change the rest of your life would be the ideal gift for most. Seth didn't seem to care about that fact.

"It's nice to get out once in a while, isn't it?" Jasmine sighed quietly, brushing a stray hair away from the side of her face as they both sat down at the table. Her carmel coloured hair was tied up in a sloppy bun, a thin headband holding in the layers that were threatening to fall into her face. Yet try as she may, she always ended up missing one strand of hair no matter how hard she worked on it. That was when her laziness got in the way.

"It really is. We should do it more often," Seth's smooth voice interrupted her thoughts and she nodded, her brown eyes scanning the people around her. "That man over there,"

"Which man?" His gray eyes travelled over to her and she saw them roll before he leaned back in his chair, nodding towards a man in a business suit talking on a cell phone. Jasmine's eyes softened when she saw him. He looked incredibly stressed.

"He's talking to his wife…they're going through a divorce…he's incredibly sad…you're doing it again," Jasmine turned back to look at Seth, who instead of watching the man, was watching her with a smirk on his face.

"What?"

"You're feeling sorry for him…again," His chair was on its hind legs as he continued to observe her. "You're feeling angry at his wife for putting him through that stress, but also upset that they're having problems…now you're angry with me for-"

"Going through my thoughts," Jasmine finished for him, nodding her head in his directions. Seconds later, the chair had toppled over and onto the ground, but he still stood. "Ugh! I hate it when you don't let me win!"

"You can't win all the time Jass," He grinned. "It wouldn't be fair to all us little people," She shook her head as he adjusted his chair, the busy people around them still walking, completely absorbed in their own worlds. A fountain sat extravagantly in the middle of the museum, partially a display for the Rain Forest exhibit, and partially for an affect. A few tvs showcasing the news were blaring their information, and people were casually passing them by. Jasmine hadn't paid much attention to anything around her other than the exhibits and Seth, but when she saw the words flashing on the bottom of the screen, she felt her stomach drop. "Jass? Jasmine…"

"Mutant attacks White House," She bit her bottom lip, her brown eyes falling onto her best friend from across from her. A commotion was sounding on her left, but she wasn't paying attention to that."Seth, we should-"

"Go," He nodded and they both stood quickly, trying not to make a scene. However, that attempt didn't matter. Everyone around them had seemed to freeze. "What the hell?"

"Jasmine? Seth…let's go," Scott appeared beside their table, and neither had to ask why. Today was not the right day for the students of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

……

"What do you think they're saying?" Kitty Pryde shook her head, leaning against the wooden doorframe as she tried to listen deeper. The professors had all gathered into one room after they'd driven home from the museum, and the whole time everyone had been on edge. She was almost positive that all the tvs in the manor were on…and all turned to one channel. The President of the United States of America had been assainated by a mutant earlier this morning, or at least, that's what every news channel on tv was reporting. "Kitty, what are they saying?"

"I don't know! I can't hear over your mumbling," She hissed behind her, glaring at Riley Startch. The boy glared heartily at her, leaning against one of the marble columns as he crossed his arms. His jet black hair fell in a sweep across his face, and his dark black outlined eyes added to the effect. "Come on Riley…we need someone with super hearing or something to hear what's going on inside of this room."

"Shouldn't you guys be somewhere other than in front of Xavier's study?" Bobby Drake rolled his eyes as he walked down the corridor, Kitty's back straightening when she saw him. She'd always been fond of the boy, and had even made ammends towards his girlfriend, Rogue, for his sake. Most wouldn't think much of this…but including the fact that Kitty had been almost in love with Bobby since she'd met him, it was huge.

"I guess you're right," Riley shook his head as he kicked off the column, grinning wrly at her. "I'm off to find Jass and Seth." Her cheeks went red as she watched him leave, his dark clothes making him stand out amongst the elegant attire of the mansion. Eileen had already disappeared, and so had Marcus, and Jass and Seth hadn't even been interested in trying to listen in. So out of the group of six, she'd been the only one interested in why everyone was hiding things behind closed doors.

"I guess I'm on my own now," Kitty said sheepishly, her eyes falling on Bobby's face. He was smiling at her kindly, and she could still feel her cheeks burning as she got up from her position on the floor. Running a hand through her dark brown hair, she let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "I just want to know what happened, that's all."

"A mutant attacked the White House. It's all anyone knows right now," He nodded, his blue eyes smiling as he talked. Inwardly, Kitty let out a sigh. He had to be the best looking boy at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters…and unfortunately, one of the taken ones. "They're probably," He took a step closer to her. "Just trying to figure out," She'd never been this up close to him before. She could feel he warmth coming off of his body and she blushed deeper as he tapped her head in reassurance. "Who's behind it."

"Bobby! There you are," The airy Western voice that came along with the tap of feet running down the marble floor made Kitty look down in disappointment. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" Her blue eyes darted up to see Rogue holding onto Bobby's arm. Bobby Drake…_her_ Bobby Drake. Kitty tucked her hair behind her ears, smiling brightly and falsely as she tried to not feel abnormally plain next to the pretty girl. With two large, white streaks framing her face and killer brown eyes, she made Kittyl feel invisible like she really was. And seeing Bobby's arm fall around her shoulders was no help.

"Yeah…I've been looking for you too," He turned his attention back to Kitty and she folded her arms in front of her. She'd always felt comfortable within the vine-covered stone walls of the Xavier mansion, within the mahogany and marble hallways, and the hominess of the campus. Yet these two people always managed to make her feel uncomfortable by just standing infront of her.

"Hey Kitty," Rogue smiled brightly at her, her gloved hand resting on Bobby's stomach as he held her with an arm around her shoulders. Feeling her stomach twang with jealousy, she let out a sigh and smiled back, waving. "You want to come with us to the rec room? We're just gonna sit and talk. Maybe you could help me with some of that history work that I ha-"

"Actually, I've got plans already," Kitty interrupted her, slightly surprised at the words coming out of her mouth. She didn't bother to see if Bobby looked disappointed that she wasn't coming. She didn't want to get her hopes up by misreading a glance. "Sorry…maybe another time."

"Oh…yeah. Another time," Rogue said, trying to smile at the girl as she brushed past them, quickly walking down the corridor in search of someone who wouldn't judge her the way she thought everyone else did.

……

"I liked that song," Jasmine looked up from her spot at the piano, one of her hands gently pressing on its ebony keys. The music room at Xavier's mansion was by far her favourite. Especially when it was just her, Riley, and Eileen. Seth had gone off to find Jubilee, who they hadn't seen since the beginning of the day…and even though he promised her that he didn't have any feelings for the pretty, fire wielding Asian girl, Jasmine knew him much better than he hoped she did.

"Which one?" She asked Riley, who was absentmindedly plucking at the bass guitar in his hands. Eileen smiled from her position on the cushy brown leather couch in front of the fire place, flipping through a magazine. If Jasmine had ever doubted meeting two other people who loved music the same way she had, she had never thought she would meet Eileen and Riley. When it came to music, Seth was boring and didn't care. But when Eileen and Riley got involved, the three could talk about it for hours.

"The one you were just playing," He sighed again, his brown-black hair sweeping out in front of his eyes again. Most people who saw the tall, dark eyed teenager would call him emo judging from his appearance. The colour of his clothes varied from dark browns, greens, blues, and blacks, and he almost always wore a dark pair of worn jeans. The black eyeliner and eyeshadow he wore didn't make the assumptions must better, but all of his friends agreed it suited him well. And the people who called him emo right up to his face, such as Artie, usually were the ones who got a face full of smoke. "What's it called?"

"_Angel_," Jasmine replied, turning back to the piano, but keeping her eyes on the room. It was larger than the kitchen and had various guitars, bass, and two drum kits tucked away against the walls, or else in the large wardrobes in the corners of the rooms. The large windows on the farthest wall let in the sunlight, and the portraits, music books, and music stands made it feel much more homey.

"Something you most certainly are…Eileen, on the other hand…" Now it was Eileen's turn to roll her eyes, and she shook her head, still flipping the magazine pages in her hands. Her blonde hair was pulled away from her eyes and out of her face to the top of her head, ending in a pony tail. Her magenta coloured eyes glared at him, and Jasmine could feel the tension floating off of her. She had always had a short temper for stupid remarks.

"Yeah, well you aren't exactly sporting a halo either, Smokey" Eileen sighed, shaking her head again.

"Mine's only broken. Yours is completely disintegrated," Riley replied bitterly back, and Jasmine went back to playing. She was tired of their bickering, and every time they promised to try and settle down, they'd start up again. Something she grew rather tired of very easily.

"That's it Riley!" The blonde roared from the couch, throwing the magazine on the floor and standing up. The smell of smoke quickly filled Jasmine's nose and she let out a cough as she glanced up. Her eyes were watering, but she could still see the two at eachother admist the black clouds. Riley's power was unusual…his ability to conjure dark, thick clouds of smoke at any given moment had never been normal. And Eileen being a technopath was completely helpless against him now.

Sighing, Jasmine stood up from the piano bench, concentrating hard and holding her hands up. If she could ignore the smoke and see them clear enough. The surprised gasps worked well enough for her, and she opened her eyes to see the smoke flooding back to Riley's hands. They were both floating an inch off of the ground, a meter's distance separating the two. She glared at them, her light brown eyes eyeing both of them as they stared at her.

"I have a headache…come on you two, can't you just get along for one day?" Eileen let out a huff and Riley laughed sarcastically.

"I try, but she always ends up getting in my face about everything," The blonde's hand flew out in a punch at him, which she thankfully didn't make. Jasmine coughed lightly, blinking hard to keep focused. "Jass, just let us go. You're tiring yourself out."

"No, I'm not," She said stubbornly, her eyes flaring red for a mere second. Both of her friends were taken aback and she quickly let them drop, collasping onto the bench. "See what you two make me do?" She was trying to turn it into a joke, but the fact that she was shaking uncontrollably extinguished it.

"Sorry, Jass," They both mumbled lightly, their eyes on the ground. Her frown increased, and for the first time in a long time, she felt the need to be away from her friends. Standing up with some difficulty, she shook off their apology.

"Don't let it happen again and I'll be fine," Jasmine replied quietly, taking a wobbly step away from the piano and towards the door. "I'm just going to go get something to drink."

"Oh, sweet. We'll come with," Riley said, and Jasmine smiled lightly in disappointment as Eileen nodded in reply and he set down his bass. Luckily, at that moment, Kitty walked into the room, an upset look clear on her face. And even though Jasmine wasn't in the mood to listen to someone, she saw her way out in her good friend.

"Kitty, hey," She smiled, her voice still quiet. Kitty's eyes snapped towards Jasmine and completely ignored the other two people in the room.

"Jass…can I talk to you?" Kitty asked quietly and Jasmine inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. This was exactly the excuse she needed to leave. Nodding her head quickly, she glanced at Riley and Eileen, mouthing _"I'll be back later."_ Nodding their heads, Riley picked up his bass and resumed to play, while Eileen cast Kitty a suspicious look before heading off to one of the drum kits.

……

Kitty opened a soda bottle, handing Jasmine one as she went to sit down on the stool beside her friend. Out of all the people she knew, Kitty trusted Jasmine Connors more than anyone else. The reason why? She knew she wouldn't be spilling her secrets to anyone who asked her. And the kitchen was the perfect place to talk. Lunch had past already, and dinner wasn't for another while…the only people who would be wandering into the kitchen would be looking for a snack. Jasmine's wit was a lot quicker than others…so switching the conversation to something less important would be easier.

"Are you alright Jass?" She was paler than the usually was, and the slow way she'd walked towards the kitchen had been a hint at something. Until now, Kitty hadn't paid attention to the awkward silence that had filled her ears when she'd walked into the music room. The look Jasmine had sent Riley and Eileen had been filled with an almost fake promise. Had she been getting up to leave them?

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jasmine answered quietly, sipping her Diet Coke. She was leaning against the blue-tiled counter top, and Kitty leaned her elbow against it as well. The window behind them was stained glass, it's tiny circled, squared, and triangled pieces of glass glinting from the springtime sun outside. "I'm just tired, that's all."

"If you're sure…" Kitty sighed, trailing off as she eyed the girl beside her. She smiled at her in reassurance before nodding at her as if edging her to continue explaining what was wrong. "I'm sorry for dragging you in here like this, but I just need someone to listen to me right now."

"That, I'm good at," Jasmine nodded, her brown eyes watching Kitty. They were comforting in their downward almond shape, and the hazelnut colour was somehow loving. But tucked in the corners of them was an infiltrating weariness that was not unrecognizable. Smiling to herself, she thought of what Seth had told her only months before. She had a thing for treating emotions by looking at people's eyes. "Now, what's wrong?"

"Bobby," Kitty mumbled, and she felt her cheeks go red at the very mention of his name. "I know you've heard me out a hundred times on this, but everytime I convince myself to stop thinking about him, he bumps into me again and messes with my head," Jasmine merely nodded her head for what seemed like the millionth time that day instead of replying. That was the thing Kitty found frustrating, but nice about the girl. She wouldn't give advice unless you asked for it. "Rogue invited me to come hang out with them in the study, or wherever, this afternoon, but I said no. I mean, I was just standing in front of them and I've never felt so utterly exposed or judged in my life!" She let out a sigh and turned to Jasmine, furrowing her brow in helplessness. "And I don't know why."

"Yes, you do," Jasmine's eyes hadn't lifted off of her yet, and Kitty felt herself blush at the attention. If she willed herself to, she could melt away from that gaze and down into the basement, where Professor Xavier's secret hallways were and be lost for ages. Yet something kept her staying…something that was the fact that as much as she was willing her not to be, Jasmine was right. "You want him to like you, and you want her to feel pressured by you. It's as simple as that."

A simple silence sang through the room and Kitty seized the moment to take a long gulp of her soda. The fizzy bubbles sliding down her throat so quickly made her hiccup lightly, and she let out an embarrassed laugh afterward. She absolutely hated it when things like that happened. Setting her glass bottle back down onto the counter in front of her, she turned to Jasmine and opened her mouth to say something when someone walked into the kitchen.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" Kitty's eyes snapped to the door where she knew Jasmine's already were. John Allerdyce stood in the doorway of the kitchen, his signature lighter hanging in the tips of his fingers. He was smirking something awful and his eyes were turned to Jasmine, something that didn't sit well with Kitty. There was no way he would be staring at her friend for long. "If it isn't Kat and Jass, my two favourite girls."

"Oh, cut the bull John!" Kitty snapped bitterly, her dislike of the boy growing even more as he stepped into the kitchen. "Do us a favour and leave us alone!" His eyes flickered towards her and narrowed, his glare being almost transparent with his smirk.

"I'm just getting a snack…you don't have to go all lethal on me, Pryde," He sniggered, stepping further in and walking towards the fridge. Kitty glowered, glancing towards Jasmine before shooting daggers back at the pyromaniac. John's ability to control fire had ceased to impress her since day one… Especially with the fact that he couldn't create it. He was just a manipulator, something that suited his personality very well.

"Kitty, please," Jasmine whispered lightly, and Kitty couldn't help but notice her hands. They were shaking something awful, and it made her recline in her anger towards John. There was something wrong with Jasmine and any fights she got in or over heard.

"Okay…" Kitty nodded, and she heard her bottle in front of her clink against the tile surface. Her head jolted towards it and John shut the refridgerator door. "Find what you were looking for?"

"No, not really. Maybe I'll just check in one of the cupboards? Or maybe even the pantry?" Kitty's patience was running low. Her fist slammed down on the table. "Woah, fiesty now are we?"

"John, just get what you want and leave. We were having a discussion that didn't involve you," She muttered, trying to control her anger for Jasmine's sake. She could feel her stool ricketing.

"Oh really? Would that discussion have anything to do with a certain Bobby Drake?" Her stool slid against the hardwood floor and she was standing up, her back straight and her eyes narrowed. _That's it._ She didn't know what she could do to outpower John, but it would have to do. His slicked back brown hair was making her cringe alone.

"Shut up and leave."

His eyes narrowed. "This isn't your mansion. You can't tell me what do to…I have the freedom to be where I want to be when I want to be there."

"Leave, now," Kitty hissed, and her bottle started to clink again. "Just get out and go."

"Make me."

The statement was simple and arrogant, and Kitty was too close to lunging over the table and tearing John's head off when the explosion of her soda bottle made her jump. Her eyes flew down to it and to Jasmine, who was shaking again. It seemed to have silenced John, and the carmel-haired girl stood up again, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Can't everyone just stop?" She hissed before shakily walking out of the kitchen, not even stopping when Kitty called her name several times. And yet…she was still surprised at the smashed pop bottle littering the counter in front of her.


	2. The Break

Chapter 2: The Break

a/n: So the last chapter didn't do so well, but that's okay! It's only the first one, right? Thanks for the people who reviewed…you guys totally rock!

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men series, or the movies, yadda, yadda, yadda. I do, however, own all of the original characters in this story, and the story itself. 

Songs to Listen to During This Chapter:

_Crappy Love Ballad _by Angels and Airwaves

_Sway_ by The Perishers

_Everybody's Changing _by Keane

_The Adventure_ by Angels and Airwaves

……

The pond was not only a decoration on the grounds of the Xavier mansion, but a beautiful place where the students came to get away from the rest of the school, and possibly be alone. Surrounded by several trees, but in a seeable distance from the mansion, the pond was a place of recreation and serenity. It was also where Jasmine felt the most secluded from the rest of the world. She'd never been a talker…mostly always been a listener. And her listening had started to drive her crazy…the thoughts that she'd begun to hear without even trying, the weariness she constantly felt. Jean said it was only because of stress, but behind closed doors, she'd spoken to Professor Xavier about something different. Something Jasmine felt secluded of from herself.

"So do you hate the world now?" She jumped as an arm snaked around her shoulders, her head turning to see Riley sitting on the bench beside her. The sun was slowly setting, and the weather seemed to be getting colder as that happened. Jasmine knew she would soon be forced to go inside by pure nature, but the water was so captivating. The clear, tainted brown water that was decorated with fragile, pink lilies and reflected the rest of the beautiful, ivy-coated courtyard. "Kitty told me what happened in the kitchen."

"I lost control, Riley," Jasmine mumbled. "It wasn't a huge deal. You know how much John bothers me." His arm was comforting, and she vaguely wondered why she'd given up her crush on the smoky-haired boy. Had it been because he constantly fought with Eileen? Or because Seth had given her a warning when she'd told him? For whatever reason, she was fighting to not fall in like with the smoke illusionist. But it was moments like these that made it so much more difficult.

"You haven't been the same lately, Jass," He toyed with the loose strand of hair that had fallen out of her bun and headband. "You've been so quiet…and it's almost like you're fighting to control yourself."

"But I'm not," She said all too quickly for it to be true. Riley's startling light blue eyes locked with hers, and she pushed him away from her after a beat. So maybe she had to fight to control her emotions and the consequences? The Professor had said it was just a stage most telekinetic mutants went through…_most_. For the most part, she'd been doing quite well…but when she got exhausted, stressed, or worried, that whole matter changed drastically.

"You're terrible at lying, you know that," He laughed, and she blushed lightly, turning to smile halfheartedly at him. The fact that he'd come to find her was something special and his smiling face was making her stomach twist and turn. "What's wrong Jass?"

"Riley…" She warned, leaning into the arm he'd put around her shoulder again. She would excuse her crush and say they were just friends. It worked most of the time…at least that was what Kitty told her. The same Kitty who had come to complain to her about Bobby today in the kitchen. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"I know, I know," He smiled, his head resting on the top of hers. He was gently massaging her shoulder with his one hand, his musky scent hitting her senses. He was looking at the sunset, the same place she was looking. She could tell from the whispers she kept on getting in her head. The whispers she knew one day would drive her insane. Vaguely, she wondered how Seth could put up with the fact he could deal with thoughts. Had he been taught to barrier everything? It would be a miracle if he had…and she wished he would teach her something of that sort if she ever came to need it. "This is nice."

"It is," Jasmine replied quietly, her eyes searching the orangey golden haze smearing across the sky in front of her. A loud buzz suddenly sounded, and the wind increased in speed. Her eyes turned towards the basketball court area, and they relaxed in wonder as the X-Jet rose into the sky. "I wonder where they're going?" The white and red hair was visible from the seats, and Jasmine sat up. Ororo and Jean were leaving?

"Who said you could move?" The jet was merely a black dot in the sky by the time Riley spoke, and she smiled lightly to herself, settling back up against him. "That's better." And although she knew she was still trying to fight it, she felt herself relax and all the tiny bits and pieces of thoughts swarming to her head turned into whispers before completely fading altogether.

……

"That would be dinner," Eileen looked up from her spot on the couch, rolling her eyes at Piotr, who was smiling at her. After Jasmine had left the music room, she'd refused to be around Riley any more than she had to. So she'd made her way to the rec room slowly, smiling inwardly but not letting it show when she saw Piotr Rasputin sitting at a table with Marcus, sketching one of his famous cartoons. Although most people knew it, she tried to not let it show that she had any abnormal feelings for the man of steel. She wasn't like Jasmine though…and she knew that only too well.

"I know…I heard the bell," She smiled, sitting up from lying down. Piotr extended a hand to help her up, and hesitantly she accepted it. Eileen was not the type of girl to throw herself loosely at a guy like some of the girls she knew. No…she was more like all the girls she was friends with. Jasmine, Jubilee, and Kitty, all headstrong girls with their own relationship ideas in their heads. She fancied herself to be like them…but with the body discomfort she had, she knew she wasn't. She would take the first thing she got, even if it took her longer to get. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," He was a man of few words, but he was a handsome one at that who seemed to pay particular attention to her. Shaking off those thoughts, she released his hand and ducked past him to walk towards the doorway. "Hey…wait up."

Eileen didn't turn around, but paused in the doorway as she heard Piotr run back to grab something. Marcus, Bobby, and Rogue had been the only other people in the rec room when she'd come, and they'd all disappeared to head off somewhere else in the mansion. More than likely the dinning room seeing as it was always a race to get to the table first. The best seats were right near the professors, and there had been a rumor circling the mansion that Logan was back and the only one watching them. Which meant more fun for her. She'd always enjoyed getting on the nerves of the Wolverine.

"Thanks," Piotr reached her in the doorway and she barely glanced back at him to smile.

"No problem," Eileen sighed stepping into the hallway and glancing around. As many students as there were at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, the mansion was so massive it was rare for a cluster of them to be anywhere at once. Especially on a nice day such as this. "So what were you sketching?"

"You noticed I was sketching?" The humor in his voice implied something, and she playfully nudged his arm…though the blush in her cheeks would not fade.

"You're always sketching, Piotr," She laughed, and she could have sworn a flicker of disappointment ran past his eyes. "I'd like to see them though? If you wouldn't mind…"

"Oh…" He fumbled with the back he'd run back to grab, the tight fighting black tee he was wearing showing off all his muscles underneath. With short cut black hair and steel blue eyes, Piotr was talked about constantly in the classes she went to, the younger girls with hopes of one day having him notice one of them deep in their heads. But instead, wherever she went, he watched her. And she wasn't the only one who had noticed it. Jasmine had…Riley had…even Seth, who was the most ignorant person in the world had noticed something. He watched her when he could have any other, stick thin girl in the school. Any other girl who was prettier than her. Any other girl who wouldn't classify herself as overweight if they were asked…any other girl who didn't support curves. Any other girl who wasn't her. "Sure."

Eileen smiled and paused as they entered the entrance hallway, taking the few sheets of paper Piotr handed her. Dinner could wait, and she could survive getting a bad seat at the dinner table. Spending any minute she could with Piotr made it all worth it. The first cartoon made her laugh…it was one of Bobby and Rogue kissing. The image of Bobby was shocked and sizzling, while Rogue still sat sweetly at the table. And as much as she loved her friends, she thought it suited what most people knew what would happen if they ever made that contact. Her power of killer touch was well known throughout the Xavier mansion, especially when she had almost killed Logan the year before.

"They were playing around on the couch right before Logan got back," Piotr explained quietly. Eileen could feel him looking over her shoulder, and she smiled. "Marcus thought it was hilarious."

"It is," She nodded, and it was then when she heard Marcus' voice from the top of the staircase in front of them.

"Geez…how many minutes ago did the bell ring? I do not want to have a spot away from Logan tonight," The boy with highlighted hair laughed as he jumped down the stairs. Eileen didn't need to glance up to know that Piotr had strayed to the bottom of the staircase to talk to Marcus, and for a moment she felt a twang of jealousy. But it was only a moment…and that's when her breath stopped. She'd been flipping the pages, laughing silently at the pictures Piotr had sketched of Marcus doing different odd poses, or the old pinball machine in the corner of the rec room that looked like it would bust in seconds if given the chance. And that's when she'd happed upon a sketch of a girl. A girl that was very much _her._

She was sprawled out on the couch, her usual magazine propped up in her arms as a few pieces of blonde hair toyed in front of her eyes. Her curves were outlined underneath her loose clothes she was wearing, and her face was carefully drawn. It was, altogether, a nice sketch of her. But that was the problem for Eileen. The girl she was seeing in front of her wasn't her. The technopath she knew…the out of shape girl she knew she was. Tears began to form in her eyes and she tried not to let it get to her. How could she have not noticed him glancing at her? Sure, it wasn't anything different…but…and how could Marcus have let him drawn something so fake? So funny?

Piotr and Marcus were back beside her, laughing about something one of them had said. Her magenta coloured eyes flashed dangerously at him when she dared to look up, her hand shoving the sketchbook back in his hands. She didn't know why she was so angry…but she felt like she'd been invaded.

"Eileen…" Piotr trailed off as he glanced down at the sketchbook, his cheeks glowing red. "Oh…do you…do you not like it?"

"Not like it? Why wouldn't she? It's like, a mirror image!" Marcus laughed from beside him, his dark brown eyes shining. For as long as she'd known the boy in front of her, he'd never seemed to get why she felt so secretive about her body. Why she counted her calories when she ate, and why she was the same as every other girl. Suddenly, the brown walls around her felt like a prison and she laughed cruely.

"Mirror image? Oh, you're hilarious," She shoved the boy angrily, wishing she could do more than arrange technology and control it. She wished she could get into his head and pry into his thoughts…see just how he'd like that. Or if she could blast him out of the way with one of his super blasts of air…see how he'd like his own dose of power. "Really, guys…the joke's up. I know about how I look, okay? Just…leave me alone!"

In an angry spur, Eileen left two of the boys she really did care about at her heels as she stormed off to the dining room.

……

"Okay…well…dig in," Logan's abrupt shrug made everyone laugh quietly before reaching forward to grab the selections of salads, rolls, mashed potatoes, and roasted chicken they were having for supper. The cuisine at the Xavier mansion was incredibly varied, such as the powers of the many mutant kids inhabiting its walls. One night could be pasta, and the next night would be a barbecue with hotdogs, hamburgers, and potato salad.

"Don't you think it's weird that they left us with Logan?" Jubilee's question from across the table made Jasmine look up and smile from piling potatoes onto her plate. She did find that it was rather odd all the other professors had left and left them with the rogue Wolverine who had just come back.

"Yeah, but we'll be just as safe with just Logan here," Seth commented from beside her, his plate already filled with piles of food. "I mean, I heard about what he did with Rogue and all at Liberty Island. It's pretty insane."

The scraping of knives and forks together clashed with the mumbled conversations happening around the table with the different students, some sitting quietly and keeping to themselves while others seemed to be involved with everyone. Glancing beside her at Riley, and then the other way at Kitty, Jasmine sighed. If it weren't for her friends, Jasmine knew she would be sitting quietly by herself. She knew it for a fact…which was why she thanked God for them every day.

"I suppose you're right," Jubilee sighed. "And it's not like we're getting attacked or anything."

"Exactly," Riley winked from his seat, his plate holding just as much food as Seth's. "And even if we do, we've got the passages to use to our advantages."

"Yeah, but it isn't like it's going to happen," Seth countered again, his eyes glancing towards Jasmine. He winked at her jokingly, and she smiled back lightly. As much as she'd like to accept that tonight would be fine, something unsettling was delving inside of her. Something she couldn't shake. "Jass."

"What?" Jasmine muttered, her honey brown eyes flickering around the group. They were all staring at her strangely, all of them remaining silent as they observed her. "_What?_"

"Are you okay?" Seth's question made her laugh, and she knew he already knew that she wasn't. But that didn't mean she couldn't lie to the rest of her friends. Technically, it wouldn't be lying…it just would be not telling them what was bothering her.

"Uh, yeah," She smiled again, digging her fork into her mashed potatoes as she continued to stare at Seth. The others seemed to be watching the eye conversation that was happening between the two, but they would never be able to read it like she could. It was a defense mechanism she'd made up with him. If something were wrong, they'd use no words, but eyes and gestures. "Wow these mashed potatoes are good."

"I agree," Marcus piped up from further down the table, and Jasmine laughed while everyone else stared silently at him. Glancing down to smile at him and perhaps comment, she opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she spotted Eileen sitting with an empty plate in front of her, and Piotr frowning from across her. It looked like he was saying something, but she couldn't make it out. If she was closer to them, she could possibly listen in on thoughts…but the look on Eileen's face didn't look like anything good.

"Jass?" She sat back into her seat, turning around to face Riley. He was smiling at her almost cautiously, and she raised her eyebrows.

"Sorry, Rye, I didn't hear you," Jasmine sighed quietly, looking back to her food. "What did you say?"

"Oh…never mind…it was nothing," His voice was quite, and Kitty and Jubilee were engrossed in a conversation. The only person that was paying attention was Seth…but the only look he was giving Riley was a dirty one. That expression only registered one thing to her. _Jealousy._

The smooth scraping of a chair's feet against the hardwood floor made everyone look up to the head of the table, confused expressions coming over their faces as Logan stood up. He was finished already? They usually didn't leave until at least after 6:30…but dessert was a free for all, and Logan didn't seem to want to wait. Then again, he didn't know the usual routine of the school.

"Does that mean we can leave?" Kitty asked, only halfway through her meal. Jasmine shrugged, still eating her potatoes heartily. Jubilee was the vegetarian, Kitty was the delicate eater, Eileen was the calorie counting girl, and she was somewhere in between the happy medium. She liked her body enough to be loose with her food and meals, but not enough to slip into a bikini and show whoever was watching her body.

"I guess so…he _is_ the head of house now," Seth said, and within a second he'd pushed back his chair. He'd finished off his food already, and it seemed a miracle to Jasmine that he wasn't spontaneously combusting from the amount he'd shoved into his mouth.

"Seth, sit down," Jasmine mumbled and he shrugged at her. She knew exactly what was going through his head. _Why?_

"Why?" He asked seconds later, a smirk on his face and she leaned forward, sighing.

"You already know," The same smirk he was wearing came onto her face and he snuffed out a laugh, leaning backwards in his chair. She wished that she could pull it out from underneath him at least once…but she knew that every time she tried to, he ended up knowing seconds before. "Just wait until we're all done, at least."

"If I have to," Seth grinned, and Jasmine glanced over at Riley, who was still smiling at her. Was it normal for a person to have deep sea blue eyes like him? Jasmine smiled lightly, suddenly not caring. Surely, those eyes could never be paired with such a fitting face. "So what are we doing after dinner?"

All the attention was turned back to Seth, who was spread out on his chair, his hand grasping the back of Jubilee's. Jasmine's eyes lit up with an idea, but Riley beat her to it.

"I'm up for jamming if you want to," He shrugged, her head turning back to him. Her honey brown eyes lit up, and she nodded, glancing around the table. "Cool...anyone else?"

No one answered, and Seth turned to Jubliee to ask her what she was doing. Jasmine glanced down the table at Eileen, who was still sending a stony glare towards the table and the untouched food in front of her.

"Eileen?" The too familiar sound of the chair against the hardwood floor reached everyone's ears again, and they all watched as Eileen stalked out of the room. A silence fell around the group of friends and Jasmine stood up the same time that Piotr did, his hands up in a humbling way.

"I'll take care of this," He mumbled, pushing his chair out of the way and jogging out of the room. The silence still lingered as everyone else kept on talking, and Jasmine suddenly felt someone take her hand. She turned around to see Riley smiling sadly, his blue eyes glancing from her towards the door.

"Still feel like jammin? Just me and you?" Her cheeks had turned pink at the sudden touch, but she was still focusing on Eileen. Piotr had said he would handle it…how would he handle it if he didn't know what to say around the touchy Eileen? "Hey." Riley squeezed her hand lightly, nodding towards the door. "Forget about it, okay? Piotr can handle it."

"But what if he can't?" Riley stepped past his chair, his hand still in hers as he guided her past her own. His blue eyes were smiling, and he let out a sigh.

"Then I'll let you fly in to the rescue," He said, the smile reaching his pale lips. And although she was still worried, Jasmine nodded. She could live with that…as long as she didn't end up paying for it in the end. "Come on…I hear a few instruments just dying to be played in that room."

……

"Eileen!" She kept her speed walking up, whipping around the corner of the hallway. How could she have eaten after that? "Eileen, please, just listen to me-"

"There's no point Piotr!" Eileen hissed, looking for somewhere, anywhere to escape to. Not that it would do her much good. With strength of steel, Piotr would be able to open any door put in the way. "Just leave me alone. I completely understand."

His footsteps were catching up to her, and she increased her step. Her blonde hair was brushing the back of her neck, and the sides of her ears, but she wouldn't stop like she usually would. She had to keep on walking…and she suddenly wished that she were anything but a technopath.

"That's just it," His strong hand fell on her shoulder and stopped her in mid step, his eyes burning holes into the back of her head. "You don't understand at all."

"Oh I don't, do I?" Piotr walked around to face her, his eyes crinkling in a frown. "Honestly, don't waste your time on me. I'm not worth all the jokes anyway." Eileen tried her hardest to not look him in the eyes, the fear of him seeing her tear filled eyes worsening as he moved her face back to his.

"But you _aren't_ wasting my time," Piotr sighed, smiling at her kindly. "You're how I like to spend my time. Being with you is what I'd do any day." Eileen felt a blush creep up the sides of her face and stain her cheeks, her blue eyes still wide. Was he being serious? There was a small chance he was…she had never known Piotr to be insincere in the whole time she'd known him.

"Oh," Was all she could say to that, wrapping her arms around her waist. "So you weren't making fun of me and my body?" He smiled at her again, his smoky brown crinkling again as he shook his head silently. "You weren't?"

"What's there to make fun of?" He asked her and she huffed out a sigh. "Forget that question…just answer me this. If I ever were to admit to having more than just normal friendly feelings for you, what would you do?" Eileen knew the blush wasn't leaving her cheeks, and she wasn't sure if it was embarrassment or flattery anymore.

"I..I…I don't know. I think I'd have to tell you that…t-that I feel the same way," As soon as she'd said it, she wished she hadn't. He was probably just asking because someone had just tipped him off. She brought her hand up to her forehead, letting out a sigh. How could she have been so _stupid_? It had probably been Marcus…the next time she saw him, she would kill him.

"That's what I was hoping," Piotr's strong voice came close and she felt a huff of breath on her neck before he kissed her cheek tenderly, the action causing her to open her eyes in shock. He was still lingering in front of her, his own cheeks now red as he looked at her uncertainly. "Oh no…you weren't just joking, were you?"

"No! You just missed," Eileen laughed before leaning in and kissing him square on the lips gently. After no more than a second, she pulled back and smiled at him. "I'll see you around then?" Dancing around him, she continued walking down the hallway, glancing over her shoulder the whole time. If everything went the way she planned, she would have him following her in an instant.

His feet seemed clumsy as he ran to catch up with her, his eyes smiling.

"Wait! What are you doing right now?"

……

"Seth," Jubilee's hand fell onto his chest again, and he vaguely noticed. He was staring up at the mansion, glaring at the window where he knew the music room was. Jasmine had dragged him in there too many times for him to not know where it was. If only he could see what was happening…or what was going to happen- "Seth, stop it."

"Hmm?" He glanced at his girlfriend, his vague expression making her sit up. They were lying under one of the cherry blossom trees in the garden, his view of the mansion clear and precise. Jubilee's pretty face was cringing in annoyance from his ignorance and she let out a sigh.

"If you would rather be with Jasmine, then why are you here with me?" Seth's eyes widened suddenly, and he sat up as well, letting out a laugh. Be with Jasmine? Jasmine was his best friend, and he saw her all the time! Jubilee, who was his secret girlfriend, was rarely with him. He'd asked what everyone wanted to do tonight because he knew Riley would say something about the music room. He'd just figured Piotr, Marcus, Kitty, and Eileen would be going with them.

"Rather be with Jasmine? Are you crazy?" Seth said, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders and tugging her towards him, kissing her head when she was close enough. "She's my best friend. I see enough of her."

He'd been the one to voluntarily bring Jubilee into their group, and he'd just been relieved that the four girls had gotten along. Yet he wasn't stupid, and he knew Jubilee was jealous of Jasmine because they spent a lot of time together. Seth had kept their relationship a secret because he knew how weird it would make everyone feel. Especially if it didn't turn out too well in the end.

"Yeah, but you can't stop looking at the music room window," Jubilee sighed. She was incredibly pretty, with long jet-black hair done up in pieces and falling down around her face, her usual muddy brown sequined jacket wrapped around her shoulders. The sky was turning to dusk, and the sweet smelling tree above them was shining its pink flowers around in the wind. Yet for some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about Jasmine and Riley being alone in the music room. "Seth…"

"What?" He'd turned back to her and her frown, Jubilee's large brown eyes shining at him. "Honestly, I'm just worried about what he's going to do to her." Jubilee snorted, throwing Seth into more confusion.

"Riley is one of the most timid guys we know!" Jubilee exclaimed, and Seth felt his cheeks go hot. She was right, and he knew it…he just didn't want to believe that. "What, do you think he's going to rape her or something?"

"You never know," That comment earned him a smack upside the head, and Seth cringed. "I was just kidding!"

"Of course you were," Jubilee mumbled, lying back down on the ground. "I love cherry blossoms, don't you?" Seth lay down beside her, nodding silently in reply. Truth be told, he really did love flowers, but he would never tell anyone. He was almost positive that unless you could read minds like he and several others inhabiting the mansion could, they would never know how completely feminine he was. Alas, that was what he had picked up from Jasmine within the first week of knowing her. "What are you thinking about?"

He didn't look at her, but continued looking directly above him at the cherry pink flowers. What was he thinking about? Jubilee was thinking about her next move, he knew that much, but he had blocked that from his mind to focus on one thing. Jass…and how much it bothered him Riley was with her right now.

"I don't know…the flowers," Seth shrugged, moving his hand to the back of his head. Jubilee moved her head to his shoulder and drew an arm around his middle. He was incredibly lucky to have her, seeing as he knew most girls would absolutely refuse to have a closed and secret relationship. Yet he was looking for something else…an element of trust, maybe? No…that couldn't be it. Seth sighed again, moving his head slightly as he focused in on a particularly large flower. He could read others' thoughts without even trying…yet he was so confused about his own.

"And you know what I'm thinking about…" He heard the smile in his voice and dared to travel to her thoughts. He saw the picture of himself leaning over to kiss her, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. Then the thought changed dramatically when he didn't do anything, turning from love to hate within seconds. "Why can't we tell people about us Seth? What do we have to hide?"

"I told you already," Seth sighed, moving his head to look down on the top of hers. She glanced up at him and smiled sadly. "I don't want to hurt anybody…and I'm pretty sure it would just be weird if we told them."

"But what about Jasmine and Riley?" Jubilee whined, and Seth let out a deep sigh. He had never thought about how much he had been doing that lately…Kitty had told him that it meant that he was low on sleep and anxious. He had told her to stop messing with his mind. But he'd only said that because he knew she was right. "I mean, they're not weirded out by all of us. Why are we?"

"They aren't dating, Jubilee, unless they haven't told me something," He said sternly, sitting up and knocking her off of him. He wasn't in the mood to be bothered with, and he knew what she was about to do before she even thought about it. The image of her standing up and leaving was burned into his head.

"Well, you're obviously tired…or something," She huffed, and he resisted the urge to add 'of you' to the end of her sentence. "I'm going back to the mansion."

"Fine," Seth mumbled, bringing his knees up in front of him. Leaves crunched under her feet as she kept on walking away, an angry thought running around in her head. He would stay out here until he had to…however long that might be.

……

"I really like that song," Jasmine smiled from the piano, the sudden silence in the room only being filled by the fire cackling and Riley plucking at the strings on his bass. She had just finished playing _Everybody's Changing_, a song by one of her favorite bands, Keane, for him. He'd stood up against he piano, his bass in hand as he watched her as she sang and played. A delicate smile was still on his face when he walked over to put his bass back down in its stand by the window, turning around to grin widely at her. "By Keane, I'm guessing?"

"Yes, actually," Jasmine grinned. "How do you know?" Riley walked over and sat down beside her on the short piano bench, his blue eyes shining in the dim light of the room. She had been more than surprised when he'd asked if she would like to go to the music room with him, and even more surprised when no one else followed them.

"I'm a bit of a closet fan myself," He said, nodding. "I love their song _We Might as Well Be Strangers._ The piano piece is so nice." Jasmine was more than surprised when he lifted his fingers to the keys in front of him and began playing, without music in front of him, the exact way that song went.

"You can play the piano?" She asked while she moved from the bench so that he sit in the middle. He moved there obligingly, continuing to play the thick and delicate notes, nodding his head. "I never knew that."

"I taught myself by ear really," Riley replied, shrugging. "I can do that with almost any instrument."

"Maybe it's another power you have?" Jasmine laughed, and he merely shrugged his shoulders in reply. He was a man of few words, but one of her best friends all the while. He was quiet enough, like her, but loud enough to surpass her at any moment. "Gosh, I wish I could do that."

"You do," At his response, she laughed again, moving to the side of the piano and watching him. He was watching her, his black outlined eyes latched onto hers as he kept on playing. For a split moment, it reminded her of Ray Charles, a crazy blind pianist and singer who was one of the best in the world. His eyes were that blue… "Seriously. You sing, don't you? That's playing by ear."

"Singing is not an instrument," Jasmine countered, and he stopped playing. She watched as he stood up and moved over to her, his hands stuck deep in his pockets as he continued looking at her.

"On the contrary, it is," He was incredibly close to her, even closer than he had been at the pond. The serious tone in his voice was enthralling, and it captivated Jasmine. Why? Because it was Riley that was talking to her and that was enough of a reason for everything. "Someone can sing without any music, but make it sound like an entire band is playing with them."

"Yeah," She said, glancing from the ground and back up to him, her cheeks tingeing red. If she really wanted to, she could set up an invisible barrier between them, or use her mind to fling him across the room and away from her. But if anything, all Jasmine wanted to do was bring him closer, even if only to give him a hug. Riley's nose brushed against hers, sending shivers up her spine. "I know what you mean."

"I know you do," Riley whispered, his forehead pressed against hers. "That's why…" He trailed off as he leaned into brush her lips with his, not getting very far before the door opened quickly. They jumped apart quickly, but his hands still rested on her forearms, where he'd been holding her before they'd parted. Seth stood in the doorway, a glint of jealousy captured in his eyes as he saw their embrace.

"Oh," He said plainly, venom filling his voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was interrupting anything." Turning on his heel, Seth disappeared from sight, his footsteps echoing in the hallway. Jasmine let out a sigh, turning to Riley and frowning.

"I should go-"

"Yeah," Riley nodded, his voice low and quiet. He seemed so disappointed…the thoughts that had been and were screaming out to here told her that. "Go…we'll catch up later."

"Yeah…" And with one last glance, Jasmine left the music room in pursuit of her best friend. The one boy who might have just ruined things with her and the guy she likes for good.

……

"Look who it is," The bitter voice coming from him didn't sound like his own, and he finally realized Jubilee might be right about him. He was jealous…jealous of Riley for being so close to his best friend. Jasmine turned around in her steps, her wide brown eyes softening when she caught sight of him. He pushed off the corridor wall, his arms crossed as he walked towards her. Seth didn't know why he was being so moody…but he couldn't help it. Her thoughts were racing and she didn't know what do to. She wanted to run back to Riley and get back into his arms the way she had been before. For a fleeting moment, he wished he didn't have the power to read minds. It was hell at times.

"Seth," She gasped. Obviously, she'd been running around for a while now looking for him. He'd seen her coming before she even knew where she was. "I've been looking for you for two hours now."

It was eleven at night and most people were in bed. He'd hid in his room, changing into boxers and a t-shirt before seeing her coming down the hall. He'd had just enough time to position himself right where he wanted to be to encounter her. She hadn't changed yet into pajamas yet, but had changed into more comfortable clothes from the attire she'd worn out today. Her still worn, boy cut jeans hung loosely on her, and the light, cotton sweater she wore was a deep shade of plum. She'd taken her hair down too…it now hung down at her shoulders, ending just before her elbows in layers. She looked amazing, but her thoughts were angry. Towards him.

"Sorry for bursting in on you and Riley like that today," Seth spat, letting the ice in his tone be known. He was good at getting into her head when she least expected it. He saw the casual flinch on her face. It was dark out, and they could barely see anything without the lantern lights lining the dark ebony walls. "I didn't know that there was something going on."

"Oh, shut up Seth," Jasmine sighed, her hand resting on her temple. She was getting another one of her headaches, something that always happened when she got stressed. He saw them shouting and having another row, but he didn't care. At least he could get his feelings out that way. "You know that there is nothing going on between me and Riley.

He scoffed a laugh, her feelings for the smoke illusionist popping up in his mind. Daring to go deeper, Seth reached the peak of it all when he felt a weird block hit his head. Something he had never, ever felt before. "_Stop it, Seth"._

His eyes went wide and he stared at her in shock. She could read minds? Since when? Seth's eyes narrowed, and he let out another huff as he casually lent back across the wall. "_Gee, I never knew you could do that. Was it something that you were just telling Riley?"_

_"What is your problem?" _The scream in his head made him wince, and he stared at her incredulously. She had never used that much power before, and any comment had just been some sort of a whisper. But that voice had been a scream, the block had been hard to break through, and almost too real to let drop. _"Riley and I are just friends, and even if we were something more, you've got Jubilee. Do you know how long I have been waiting around while you snuck around with her?"_

A glimmer of some sort of twisted hope flashed in his head and his eyes went wide. _"Waiting around for who?"_ It seemed ridiculous to be standing in the middle of a hallway silent and glaring, but it was better than having anyone who wasn't telepathic over hear. Jasmine's face flushed slightly, and she shrugged, her eyes dropping.

_"I don't know…anyone."_ She crossed her arms again, and he could feel the tiredness falling off of her in large chunks, bits of embarrassment caking through. _"I'm done talking about this."_

_"Jasmine-"_ But before he could get another word in, she'd turned and walked down the hall, blocking all thoughts that flew at her.


	3. The Invasion

Chapter 3: The Invasion

(a/n: Okay, so the second chapter wasn't a huge hit with y'all either. If I could get some feedback, maybe it would be nice? Oh heck, I'll continue with this story anyway. So this chapter's looking to be intense…please, even if you hate it, let me know?)

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men AT ALL!

Songs to Listen to During this Chapter:

_Your Ex-Lover is Dead _by Stars

_The Adventure_ by Angels and Airwaves

……

Riley gently closed the door of his room, the veil of dusk cloaking his entire room in darkness, save the light of the moon. He hadn't left as soon as Jasmine had. Half of him had hoped she'd come back, while the other half knew too well that she wouldn't. Seth was her best friend. And he…he was something entirely different. Suppressing a sigh, Riley made his way over to his bed. He shared the room with Piotr and Marcus, both of whom were no where to be found. Maybe it was better that way too…he wouldn't have to put up with their random talks about jokes they pulled that day.

Switching on the light on his bedside table, he picked up the book he'd been reading. A mystery novel that he'd picked up in the library, with no title but the letters _R.A._ that stamped the front of the black book in gold lettering, and on its spine as well. It hadn't taken him too long to understand the story immediately. A deadly love triangle…vicious murders…the only suspects revolving around the three lovers. Suspense drenched the whole book, and Riley loved escaping to it every night after he got into his dorm. Tonight he really needed something to escape to.

Jasmine had been for years now the object of Riley's affection. They'd grown up together in their small group, and while he'd been framed for admiring Amara, it had only been a cover for someone really finding out how he felt about Jasmine. The only people who knew about it were Piotr and Marcus, his two best friends…he knew they would never say a word unless he told them too.

Settling down in his bed, Riley leafed through the pages until he reached his bookmark again.

……

Jasmine wiped the tears from her face, letting out a frustrated sigh. Her telepathy was off, and the objects that she walked by were tilting slightly. _My powers aren't controlling me…my powers aren't controlling me…my powers don't control my mind._ By the time she'd reached the door of her room, she'd calmed down enough to not send painting flying off the walls around her. With a swift motion of her hand, she opened her door and walked into her dorm.

The beige room was covered with various posters decorating the walls, and the scent of mixed perfumes hung lightly in the air. A CD was playing from the stereo in the corner of the room and setting a mellow vibe to the room. The window was open and letting in the night air, and to add to everything, Eileen sat cross-legged on her own bed against the wall closest to the door. She looked up from flipping through another magazine that looked like it belonged in the music genre rather than fashion.

"Jass?" She said in question at Jasmine's blotchy red face. Jasmine reached up to wipe her face that was sticky and dried out from the frustrated tears that had strewn her face. _Why is he being such a jerk about everything?_ "Hunny, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Jasmine replied dryly, stalking over to her bed. As soon as she'd moved into their dorm room, she'd chosen the bed closest to the right-side window out of the four in the room. "I just had a rough night." Jasmine collapsed onto her bed, letting out a muffled sigh into her pillow.

"Want to talk about it?" The question rang in her ears for a few moments before she poked her head up from her pillow. Shaking her head, she turned onto her side to face Eileen, biting her fingernails as she thought about it.

"No…not right now."

……

"What do you think of Bobby Drake?" Kitty asked Jubilee quietly as they walked towards their dorm. They shared it with Eileen and Jasmine, and Kitty had only agreed to go back upstairs because she knew how late it would be. Waking the two of them up would be horrible.

"He's a real sweetheart, Kitty," Jubilee replied before her eyes lit up. They had just spent the past two hours hanging out in the rec. room with Bobby, Rogue, John, Piotr, and Marcus. "Wait," Jubilee's hand reached forward to grab hers and Kitty felt her face go red with embarrassment. "Why? You don't like him, do you?"

"Shhhh!" She laughed, bending down to look Jubilee in the eye squarely. "No one can know, okay? I mean, Jasmine knows, but-"

"Oh, of course Jasmine knows," Jubilee mumbled. "She just knows everything, doesn't she? The all-knowing, all-seeing Jasmine knows just about everything to do with life." Kitty opened her mouth to object, but she kept on rambling on. "I wonder, if I went to her and spilt out my heart to her, do you think she would help me? Help me and my problems with her best friend?"

Without even waiting for an answer, Kitty was almost blown backward as Jubilee continued to walk up the staircase, brushing her aside.

……

He was pissed. If he'd ever been in a bad mood before, this mood was ten times worse. How could she have feelings for _him_? Of all people to have a crush on, it had to be Riley… Seth stopped his thoughts, turning over on his bed. His other two roommates, Bobby and John were lying asleep in their beds. They'd gotten back only a while ago from hanging around downstairs. Seth glanced at the time on the clock beside his head. **12:08** a.m.

It was too late to go see Jasmine and apologize. It was too late to go see Jubilee and apologize. It was too late to go and get into a fight with Riley. It was too late to be awake and thinking still.

……

"So you and Eileen, huh?" Marcus' grin could not be hidden although he tried, and Piotr could not help but smile. They'd stayed to talk about the situation that had occurred with he and Eileen after dinner. Marcus seemed to have known something was going on, for he'd perked up immediately when Piotr had said "Dude, I need to talk to you."

"Yeah, me and Eileen," Piotr sighed. They were walking up the stairs, and the only person that had been up when they'd left was the TV kid…and he never slept. "I can't believe this day. It's been amazing in its own awful way."

"Dude, you're such an artist," Marcus laughed as they finally reached the landing, automatically turning left. They'd been at the school for years now, and had always been in the same dorm with Riley. "You're turning into Riley on me."

"Is that such a bad thing?" He moaned, and the blond-tipped boy grinned at him. As more of a prep than anything, Marcus had the tendency to continuously make fun of Riley, who was very much an artist. Piotr had always been in between the two, which was probably why they weren't constantly trying to kill each other. "Nah, Riley's a cool guy."

"Now that sounds like we barely know him," Marcus sighed as they reached their dorm. The three boys had been sharing a room since they'd all arrived at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Getting to know each other hadn't been hard, but Riley had always dodged around iffy questions about his past. Piotr had learned to let go of it, but Marcus had never quite reached that point. "Riles! Are you in there?"

"What do you think?" The dry reply came from behind their closed door and Piotr reached forward to open the door. He would probably mention the time or something about how they weren't allowed to be in the girls' dorms after midnight. It was the only Riley thing to do. Yet as they walked into the room, Riley was merely sitting on his bed reading, a straight and solemn face pulled on as he read. He didn't even glance up to see them, and Piotr caught the odd glance Marcus threw at him when they made their way to their own beds.

"Hey Riles," Marcus began awkwardly as he sat on his bed opposite Riley's. "How was your night?" Piotr stayed silent as they waited for Riley's reply. That reply didn't come until he'd read another page before turning it and sliding a bookmark in.

"Good, how was yours?" He said quickly, and Marcus' eyebrows raised high up to the middle of his forehead. Piotr knew he'd replied to quickly, but for the sake of their friendship, no one would say anything about it until the person mentioned it.

"Good…" Marcus replied, turning to look at Piotr. He smiled forcefully, looking towards Riley after he had. "Anything exciting happen? What did you and Jass do in the music room?" Although Marcus hadn't added a suggestive undertone to it, Piotr knew that that had been the wrong question to ask Riley. His face went stone hard immediately and he crossed his arms, shrugging as he did.

"We just hung out for a bit. Then she had to run off…Seth came in and got pissed off at her," Riley mumbled, turning to look out the window. Piotr looked worriedly at Marcus before looking back at Riley. For as long as he could remember, as long as he himself had felt feelings for Eileen, Riley had felt something towards Jasmine. He hadn't been the one to recognize it at first, and it had taken Marcus and Kitty to actually point it out. Riley had denied that to Kitty, but one night when they had been sitting around in their dorm playing a card game, he'd spilled out everything to Piotr and Marcus. They'd been sworn to secrecy, and Riley swore that if they told anyone, they'd both be waking up with a face full of ash the next day. That had sealed the deal, and the secret had been held for almost two years. Yet now, when things were going so well for Riley, Seth was suddenly going to mess things up?

"Why was he pissed?" Marcus asked, and it took Piotr another second to realize he hadn't said one thing since they'd walked into the dorm. Straightening his back as he sat with his feet on the floor near his bed, Piotr cleared his throat.

"Yeah…why was he pissed?" He knew he was only echoing Marcus, but he figured it would be better than not saying anything. Riley's gaze didn't turn to them, but he kept his silver-blue eyes turned to the window while he replied.

"You know what we've always said. He obviously has a thing for her…and Jass…" He trailed off in frustration. Piotr noticed his hands were balled into fists while he crossed both of his arms together. "Jasmine is too nice to not follow her angry best friend out of the music room and to who knows where. For all I know, they could have been making out one hallway over."

"Don't say that, Riles," Piotr sighed. The possibility was incredibly unlikely, seeing as he'd found out from several people that Jasmine did feel strongly for Riley. Yet Jasmine and Seth were best friends…nothing could come between that. "She probably just went to help him cool off."

"Yeah," Marcus agreed, but the look on his face wasn't very helpful. "Of course."

……

"Hey Jubie," Eileen's sickly sweet voice only made Jubilee angrier, she realized, as she entered the dorm. She didn't care that Jasmine looked asleep on her bed. She didn't care that Kitty was still behind her. She didn't care that it was past midnight and people would be sleeping. Jubilee slammed the door with as much emphasis as she could, glaring at Jasmine as she jumped in her sleep. "Woah, someone's in a bad mood."

"Shut up Eileen," Jubilee spat, stalking off towards her bed. She was in a sour mood, she knew that only too well. But she didn't care. Anyone who was dating someone like Seth Goodwrich would be doing the same thing. Jasmine's tired and surprised face made her smile in satisfaction while Jubilee stripped from her jeans by her dresser. She deserved it…he deserved it. They both deserved to be woken up from their dreams about each other as quickly and as loudly as possible.

"You alright Jubilee?" Jasmine mumbled, and Jubilee opened her mouth to reply bitterly towards her when Kitty stormed in (much more quietly of course) right through the door. Jubilee frowned again and closed her mouth. She'd forgotten that she was able to walk through walls, much less doors. The glare on her face was directed to Jubilee, and she knew it. Jasmine and Eileen sat in curiosity as she and Kitty ignored each other, getting dressed into their pajamas as quickly as they could. Jubilee was in the lead, with her bottoms already on, and by the time Kitty had finished pulling her slip on, she'd sunk into her bed and pulled the covers over her head.

"She's just being a little bitchy tonight," Kitty growled without making any mention to their fight tonight. The other two remained silent, and when the light clicked off in the room, Jubilee finally peeled the sheets off her face. With any luck, the night would go by quickly and she'd be the first one out of bed.

……

At **12:33**, Seth awoke from his slumber with a pounding head. His dream hadn't been a dream…or had it? Chaos and panic through the halls of the school, Jasmine hitting her head and falling, and Jubilee screaming as a man in black stormed into her room and shot her. The sweat on his head was trickling down his forehead quickly, and he suddenly felt sick. He just had to make sure, and then, maybe, everything would be fine. Closing his eyes, he skipped several minutes into the near future.

Students and classmates are screaming as they run through the halls of the school, looking for hidden exits. Jasmine hits her head against the wall behind her and she falls as a rush of people run past her. Jubilee screams as a shot is fired and a man dressed in gear walks stiffly to get her. Logan yells at Piotr to take a group of kids through the tunnel. Seth bends down towards Jasmine before falling asleep…

Seth opened his eyes, a panicked thought coming through his head. He wasn't just dreaming. He was seeing what would happen for sure. He shot up in his bed, looking wildly around the room. Bobby was gone, but John was still asleep. If he could get him awake before something happened…

"John!" He didn't bother to whisper, but instead shouted. "John, get up!" John Allerdyce sat up in his bed, groggily looking at him. Although he had never gotten along with Seth (for the reason that bordered around Jasmine), he still had a mutual respect for his powers. Whether or not he would at half past midnight, Seth wasn't sure.

"What the hell do you want Goodwrich?" He mumbled. Seth opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, a piercing scream filled both of their ears. Seth clamped his hands over his ears and from what he could see through squinted eyes, so was John. Inside of him, a feeling of dread rolled around in his stomach. It had begun.

……

She'd been out to get a glass of water when she'd first seen the men creeping around the corridors. Panic-stricken and terrified, Jasmine backed into the shadows. How was she going to get up to her room to warn the girls? Telepathy wouldn't help her now. Heavy sleep could not be broken easily, and after her fiasco with Seth in the hallway today, it would be hard for her to use that amount of strength to break through a mind barrier. She'd paused and her eyes had gone wide when she'd thought of her best friend. What if they got to him first? What if she could never tell him how sorry she was? What if she could never tell him how she felt about…Riley. What would happen to Riley?

The intruders' thoughts were clear enough in her mind, no longer whispers, and she guessed it was because of her panic. Panic? Maybe that was the key to her strength. She'd set her hand on her forehead. She could get through them - all of them - if she tried her hardest. But just how many of them were there? Jasmine hadn't been able to stop thinking until Vickie's shriek filled her mind. She fell to her knees and held onto her head, panicked thoughts and piercing sounds filling her mind.

"Stop it Vickie," She pleaded to no one in particular. "Stop it please." And then suddenly, the shriek had stopped and was instead replaced with many surprised screams and the sound of running footsteps. Now Jasmine was making her way up the stairs, dodging past many dead or unconscious bodies of the soldiers that had invaded the mansion. She was looking for anyone she knew…anyone that she knew who wasn't going to hurt or abandon her.

"Jasmine!" Someone's voice rang out in her ears, but Jasmine didn't have time to see who it was. Thrusting her hands out in front of her, she protected herself from the bullets that were shooting at her. Who were these people? And why were they using weapons? Jasmine had never been good on her feet. She fumbled when she was supposed to run, and skipped when she was supposed to walk. Her attempt to get away caused her to trip over her own two feet. "Jass!" It was Seth. She should have known sooner who it was. Yet he couldn't stop her from falling backwards. A sharp pain hit the back of her head before her vision blurred to black.

……

"Jasmine!" Seth ran quickly over to where she'd fallen. Her face had looked surprised before she'd fallen. If he hadn't yelled, the man would have shot her. If he hadn't hit the man over the head with a vase he'd grabbed from one of the decorative tables lining the hallway. John had already gone off to get as many people as they could. Seth had judged him wrong…he hadn't misjudged his powers in the middle of the night, especially when Vickie had started screaming. "Jass?"

She must have hit her head. Her hair was sticky from where she had smashed her head against another table, and her eyes were closed. Seth kneeled down beside her, gently moving her head back into proper place. He ran his fingers over her face, leaning down to make sure she was still breathing. She was, faintly and shallowly, but she was still breathing.

"Jass?" He murmured, shaking her gently. "Jasmine, please wake u-"

A prickling sharp pain hit his back, his right shoulder to be exact. Seth made to turn around, but his senses became blurred. Were they shooting tranquilizers? It didn't make any sense. He tried to think to the man who had shot him, but it didn't work. His mind felt like Jello that was slipping through his fingers. The last thing he remembered seeing was the blurred face of Jasmine after he hit the floor.

……

"Piotr!" Eileen ran towards the group of kids pilling around the nearest hidden exit. She didn't know where Jasmine was, or Kitty for that matter. She'd woken up for a midnight bathroom break and had been just about to open the door again when she heard Jubilee scream. Eileen had dimmed the lights quickly, her thoughts coming jumbled in as she tried to think of a way to help her friend. But her mind had seemed to freeze up and it wasn't long before Jubilee's scream stopped abruptly after a shot sounded.

After that, she'd grabbed a sweater and tore from her room, barefoot and scared. No one seemed to be out of their rooms yet, but the thundering of footsteps above and below her made her sure that there were people around. Who were these men? The question scared her after she'd had to hide more than twice from a large group of them.

"Eileen! Quickly, everyone in here," He ushered the kids into the square hole that was one of various emergency escape routes to the forest. Where they would be in the forest was unknown to them, but Professor Xavier had always cautioned them to use it when it was most necessary. _Had he known this would happen?_ He was out with Scott on an errand, and they'd been left with Logan instead. His timing could not have been worse. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," She paused, out of breath, as Piotr helped her into the tunnel. "But they've got Jubilee…and I can't find Jasmine or Kitty." His hands kept on her shoulders as they ran down the tunnel. She knew he was keeping her moving, but she wanted to turn back to look for her friends.

"They'll both be fine. Jasmine can protect herself, and Kitty is probably in the woods already," Piotr sighed. "Marcus is straight ahead…don't worry about him." Eileen nodded as they rounded a corner, still unsure of what was ahead. But what about Riley and Seth? Bobby, Rogue, and John? And Logan? What would happen to them?

"What about the others?" Before he could ask who she meant, Eileen continued. "Riley and Seth. And everyone else that didn't make it. What will happen to them?"

"I…I don't know," Piotr mumbled. His hands were still on her shoulders as they ran, finally catching up to the group of kids in front of them. "But I promised Logan I would look after these ones."

……

Riley opened his eyes at the sound of a crash. He'd locked the doors on instinct, but he had no way of knowing who was coming. Was it one of the men that had invaded his room? The blast of smoke he'd shot from his fingers had been enough to buy him getaway time, but he couldn't find anyone he knew running to a spot he was familiar with. So he'd ran down to the garage. Car after car, some belonging to students, others belonging to professors were lined up in neat rows in the massive concrete room, tool boxes and electrical tools lining the walls. Riley had found the first open car and locked himself in the back seat, lying down in the area made for foot room. No one would ever suspect to look in a locked car. And if they did, he would have his smoke to hide him.

He knew the question _why_ was running in everyone's heads, and it was still mulling around in his own. Xavier's school had never posed any sort of problem to anyone, even the mutant-haters, seeing as they were out of the way. Yet now, at the exact moment that Logan was the only professor residing in the mansion, unidentified soldiers in the middle of the night were attacking them. Someone had planned it. It was the only explainable explanation.

Footsteps clattered in the garage, and judging from the loud thud of the boots, it wasn't anyone welcoming. Riley squished himself further down into the wedge, creating a thin layer of black smoke in front of him. He wouldn't be caught unless the man was looking in every single one of the cars. Another pair of footsteps sounded in the garage, the patter of bare feet slapping against the floor. A student. Riley's stomach filled with dread as he thickened the blanket of smoke covering him. Before the familiar sound of a gunshot sounded, a loud scraping of something against the concrete floor rang through the room. Riley covered his head with his arms as something hit his car with a huge force, windows shattering as the car went crashing into one of the large concrete columns that were built for support. Riley had just enough time to climb up and crawl into the back seat before the large tool table that had once been against the wall hit his only exit from the car. The man that had been walking around was now no where to be found. Little bits of glass dug into Riley's skin as he shifted his position on the leather seat. Someone was going to come back to a little bit of a large disappointment.

"Hello?" Riley called through the broken, smash, and half-covered window. "Hello? Is anyone there?" He could have sworn he heard a student before, and there was no possible way someone had been able to push the car and the bench without some sort of supernatural power. Piotr and Jasmine crossed his mind instantly. They were really the only two who could do something like that. Marcus flashed in his mind too, but Riley only took a few seconds to dismiss that. It would have been incredibly windy if Marcus had been the culprit, and it had happened to quickly and to fast to be a source of wind. "Hello!"

"Riley?" Jasmine's voice was quiet and sounded incredibly weak, but he could tell it was hers. Ignoring the sharp pains sticking into his knees, Riley squinted through the broken glass of the window and the crumpled tool bench to see Jasmine standing by the car. The man was only knocked out, but it looked as if Jasmine had grabbed the nearest things possible to defend herself. She could have done this standing on the other side of the room with the amount of power she was capable of using. "Oh my gosh, Riley, are you in there?"

"I'm right here," He waved a hand to see if she could see him, but it was no use. He could only see her through the glass and that was it. "Jasmine, do you think you could move this out of the way? I'm stuck back here."

The seats to the front had been bent and twist in the crash, and the emergency lock that Professor Xavier had installed in every car had gone off. It was intended for robbers and incredible amounts of pressure. Vaguely, Riley wondered if both had happened tonight.

"Yeah, I'll work on it," She looked so pale even as she said that, paler than she normally was. Placing her hands out in front of her, she concentrated hard on the bench and for a split second, Riley saw it move. The crash came after it fell back down onto the ground, only standing in mid-air for a millisecond. "Oh man…I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Riley called, though the worry in the pit of his stomach had increased. If they were both stuck here, there was no hope in getting help for either. "Jasmine? Are you alright?"

She didn't reply. Riley scrambled to find her through the shattered glass, his light blue eyes widening when he saw her. She was touching the back of her head and standing near the car that had been beside the one he'd been in. Jasmine looked as if she were trying to think of what had happened, and perhaps, she was. Was she going through a state of shock?

"Jasmine!" He yelled again, but it was as if she hadn't heard him. Riley watched helplessly as she withdrew her hand from the back of her hair, staring at the sticky crimson coating that came when she pulled her hand back. She was breathing heavily. Too heavily, as if she was fighting to stay breathing. Riley felt another jolt in his stomach as he realized she must have hit her head. That's why she had been so scatterbrained. "Jasmine!" If he could coax her over to where he was, maybe he could help her…or something. "Jasmine!"

Her body swayed before she touched the car beside her for support. Riley watched Jasmine blink slowly, almost in slow motion it seemed, before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed onto the floor. Riley's eyes stared in horror at her body on the floor, her bloody hand print on the car window beside her before he started screaming for someone, _anyone_ to help them.


End file.
